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RadKid.Org:
Symptoms of Nonverbal Learning Disorder

Criteria
1: A Statistically Uncommon Phenomenon

The
difference between various intellectual
skills within the same brain.

Ability
with language related tasks is significantly
better than their abilities on non-language
testing.

Criteria
2: Impact on the Child?s Life

Math
- Often the child will achieve in math
during the early grades, struggling in the
later primary school grades. The problem is
in math concepts, in that they have
difficulty understanding what the operation
is trying to achieve, instead relying on a
step-by-step process.

Handwriting
- Getting thoughts onto paper can be a
problem from the start. The NLD child has
trouble automating letter function,
organizing the letters and words on paper,
and planning the process of putting their
thoughts into words and sentences.

Organization
- Children with NLD have trouble seeing
large jobs in terms of being made up of
several small tasks. Cleaning the room, for
example, might be overwhelming while they
may be able to pick up the dirty clothes
without difficulty. They also have trouble
keeping the large job in mind as they work
through its smaller components.

Attention
- Some NLD children have trouble maintaining
attention, although to some this is limited
to situations which are too difficult or
boring.

Socialization
- Frequently, NLD kids are very good at
socializing in the early years. As with
their problems with math, they tend to
struggle only after the social demands
exceed their abilities. In particular, they
have trouble understanding such non-verbal
communication as facial expression, body
language, tone of voice, and choice of
words. Consequently, they miss the emotional
states behind the words, and do not pick up
on subtle messages such as sarcasm.

Anxiety
and Fear - Although NLD children can
communicate verbally with ease, their
understanding of the world is limited and,
as a result, they feel confusion in social
situations. As NLD children become
adolescents and adults, management of
anxiety becomes a primary need.

Non-Verbal
Thinking - For most people, much of our
thinking is non-verbal. At times, we may
know what is wrong yet struggle to put this
understanding into words. For the NLD child,
the situation is reversed. They may have
trouble with concepts of time, money, and
weather. Others might get lost easily, have
trouble with maps, and have difficulty in
athletic games where direction and movement
are important.

Motor
Coordination - Some children with NLD are
uncoordinated, while others may simply have
difficulty in team situations where there is
continuous and complex information about
people and directions to be understood.

Criteria
3: No Alternative Explanation

Eliminate
other possible explanations, such as:
ADHD, which could lead to many signs and
symptoms similar to that of NLD.

Intellectual
Disability - Sometimes when a child is very
clever verbally, his or her intelligence may
be overestimated.

Anxiety
or Abuse - Children who are anxious due to
abuse might have some of the same
difficulties as children with NLD.

Lack
of Opportunity to Learn - Difficulties in
math may be due to a child having never had
the opportunity to learn the basics.

Asperger
Syndrome - Children with Asperger syndrome
have similar socialization difficulties as
do NLD children, although children with
Asperger syndrome are not as prone to have
difficulties in math, handwriting, or
organization.

Semantic-Pragmatic
Language Disorder - A language problem where
complex language is impaired, leading to
problems in comprehension and socialization
similar to that seen in NLD, although these
children are not as likely to have
difficulties in math, handwriting,
organization, and attention.

Criteria
4: A Consistent Pattern

Children
with NLD will show a consistent picture of
developmental disorder over time. This can
be tricky, as they often use their language
skills to compensate for their other
weaknesses, particularly in the early
grades.